Cleaning machine



Nov. 17, 1931.

P. J. SHAMPAY CLEANING MACHINE 7 SheetsSheet 1 Filed June 2, 1927' 1 W.mu mw w Nov. 17, 1931. P. J. SHAMPAY CLEANING MACHINE Filed June 2, 19277 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 17, 1931. J. SHAMPAY CLEANING MACHINE Filed June2, 1927 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 17, 1931. P. J. SHAMPAY 1,332,839

CLEANING MACHINE Filed June 2, 1927 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Nov. 17, 1931. p.J. SHAMPAY 1,832,839

CLEANING MACHINE Filed June 2, 1927 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 J17; w {y Nov. 17,1931. P. J. SHAMPAY 1,832,839

CLEANING MACHINE Filed Jun 2, 1927 '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Nov. 17, 1931. P.J. SHAMPAY v CLEANING MACHINE Filed June 2, 1927 7 Sheets-Sheet 7Patented Nov. 17, 1931 PASCAL J. SHAMPAY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANACLEANING MACHINE Application filed. June 2,

u vide a machine of the class named which shall be of improvedconstruction and operation. ther objects will appear from the followingdescription. l

The invention is exemplified in the combination and arrangement of partsshown in the accompanying drawings and described in the followingspecification, and

it is more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

in the draw1ngs, V Flg. 1 is an end elevatlon oi a portlon of a cleanlngmachine embodying one form of the present lnvention;

Fig. 1s a vertical section substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4% is a fragmentary elevation of the stamping surface of thecleaning members;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. l;

Fig. 6 is a transverse, vertical section of the portion of the machineshown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal vertical section of another portion of themachine embodying the present invention;

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the portion of the machine shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a transverse, vertical section of the portion of the machineshown in Fig. 7;

and V Fig. 10 is a fragmentary elevation showing a detail ofconstruction.

Cleaning machines that remove dust from carpets and other articles to becleaned by heating or other treatment of the article while dry are opento the objection that the clouds of dust created are diflicult todispose of without menacing the comfort and health of the workers andothers in the neighbor- 1927. Serial 110.11%,984.

hood of the cleaning plant. The present invention avoids all flying dustand dirt by treating the article to be cleaned with a cleansing fluidand by stamping or pressing the article between roughened surfaces toremove the dust and dirt therefrom.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, the numeral 11 designates asupporting frame having a tank'l2 thereon for containing acleansing-liquid 13. Any suitable cleansing liquid, such as soapsuds,naphtha, clear water or other similar material, may be used. The articleto be cleaned is placed in the tank in the form of a roll, shown at 14,and is fed upwardly over a feed table 15 and'be'tween stamping members16 and 17. The stamping members may be in the form of I-beains, asillustrated in the drawmgs, the lower member 17 being pivoted at 18adjacent the bottom of the tank 12. The upper member 16 is carried on apivot rod 19 mounted to slidein guide slots 20 disposed one at each sideof the frame 11. The adjacent flanges of the I-beams l6 and 17 arecovered by stamping pads 21 and 22. These pads, as illustrated in Figs.4 and 5, may be composed of a relatively hard rubber base 23 havingsofter rubber 'ibs or corrugations 24 arranged transversely of theI-beam Webs. The pads may be made of other suitable ma-- terial,butrubber has p-roven to be very efficient in operation for thispurpose. It will be noted that thelribs 2 1 are inclined at a slightangle relative to the normal to the side edges of the I-beam flanges.The ribs on the upper pad 21 are inclined in the opposite direction fromthe ribs on the lower pad so that the ribs of the two pads when broughttogether will cross.

The ends of the pivot rod 19 are journaled in heads 25 carried at theupper ends of rods 26 disposed one at each side of the frame 11. Rollers27 are journaled on the lower ends of the rods 26 and bear upon cams 28which are fixed to opposite ends of a transverse shaft 29 journaled inthe frame 11. The shaft 29 is driven by a belt 30 which extends upwardlyto a shaft1'31 operated'by Worm gearing 32 from a motor 33 mounted onthe top of the frame 11, as shown in Fig. 1.

The cams 28 are each provided with four lobes 35, the lobes of the twocams being arranged in angular registration so that both ends of the.shaft 19 will be raised at the same time when the shaft 29 is rotated.This mechanism will periodically lift the upper I-beam 16 and permit itto drop upon the fabric drawn between the pads 21 and 22.

The cleansing fluid 13 within the tank 12 covers the portion of thefabric passing between the stamping surfaces of the I-beams, so that thefabric will be subjected to a periodic stamping and pressing action asit passes between the corrugated pads. This stamping action will loosenthe dirt in the fabric and permit it to be washed out by the cleansingliquid.

The I-beams 16 and 17 are periodically rocked forwardly upon theirpivotal supports 18 and 19 by cams 36 carried on stud shafts 37 journaled in the sides of the tank 12. The peripheries of the cams 36bear against the web of the I-beam 17, and eat 11 cam is provid el witha projection 38, which projections force the lower I-beam 17 to the leftas viewed in Fig. 6 each time the stud shafts 37 are given a completerevolution. The web of the I-beam 17 is held against the cams 36 bysprings 39 attached by means of bars 40 to the end of the tank 12. TheI-beain 17 carries a finger 41 at each end thereof which projectsupwardly past the edge of the work 14 and engages the flange of theupper I-beam 16. The lingers 41 carry the upper I-beam forwardlysimultaneously with the forward movement of the lower I-beam 17. Springs42 are provided for drawing the upper I- beam back to initial position.

The stud shafts 87 are connected by gearing 43 to the shaft 29, the gearratio being suh that the stud shafts have the same rate of rotation asthe shaft 29. The upper I- beam 16 is raised four times for eachrotation of the shaft 29, and the I-beams are rocked forwardly once foreach rotation of the stud shafts 37, so that there is one forwardrocking movement of the I-beams for every fourth vertical reciprocationof the upper I-beam 16. The parts are so timed that the forward rockingmovement of the I-beams takes place during the period when the upperI-beam is at its lower position, so that the work is gripped between thepads 21 and 22 during the forward rocking movement of the I- beams. Inthis way the work is fed forwardly a short distance at every fourthreciprocation of the I-beam 16. The I-beam 16 is lifted to clear thework before the parts are permitted to swing backwardly, so that thework is not retra ted during the return movement of the I-beams. Thework is held against reverse movement by the rollers 44 and 45, throughwhich the work passes after it leaves the stamping members.

The upper roller 44 is driven by a sprocket wheel 46 connected bysprocket chains 47 and 48 and co-operating sprocket wheels with theshaft 29. Springs 49 press the upper roller 44 downwardly upon theroller so as to grip the work between the two rollers. Before the workreaches the rollers 44 and 45, it is directed upwardly over a guide bar50, which lifts the work out of the liquid 13. A spray pipe 51 isarranged above the work between the stamps l6 and 17 and the rollers 44and 45, which pipe discharges streams of water or other rinsing iquidupon the work to rinse the cleansing fluid therefrom. The rollers 44 and45 not only assist in feeding the work through the machine, but alsowring any excess liquid from the work. The work passes from the machineover the edge of the tank 12, and may then be dried or subjected tofurther cleaning treatn'ient, as the conditions may require.

An apron of canvas or other flexible material is preferably suspended atthe front side of the stamp 16 to intercept liquid which is splashedupwardly at the downward move ment of the stamp. A similar apron 53 issuspended from the spray pipe 5i adjacent the rear side of the stamp 16.The feed table 15 is hinged to the end walls of the tank 12 at 54 topermit the table to be raised for the insertion of rolls of materialinto the tank 12.

It is usually desirable in cleaning carpets and other articles whichcollect a great deal of dirt first to remove the loose dirt or dust andthereafter to more thoroughly cleanse the carpet or other article fromdirt that adheres more closely to the article. The portion of theinvention thus far described may be used for the preliminary removal ofdust, and the article then subjected to further treat ment for completecleaning.

In Fig. 7 there is shown the apparatus for further cleaning the carpetafter it has passed through the preliminary dust-removing mechanism ustdescribed. 111 this figure the discharge or wringer rollers 44 and 45are shown, and the work 14 as it leaves these rollers is directeddownwardly over a feed board 55, which may be of brass or othernon-corrosive material, into a tank 56 con taining a cleansing liquid57'. From the feed board the fabric passes over guide rods 58, which arecurved downwardly into the bath of cleansing liquid 57, and are thendirected upwardly to guide the fabric over the edge of the tank 56.Curved rods 59 are spaced upwardly from the rods 58 to hold the fabricdown in the bath 57. feed wheel is mounted to rotate above fabric 14 asit passes through the bath 5A, the wheel being provided with radiallyextending plates 61., shown more clearly in Fi g. 10, the plates havingteeth 62 on their outer edges which extend between the rods 59 to engagethe fabric and feed it forwardly through the bath 5?. The wheel 60 isprovided with any suitable form of drive for imparting rotationthereto.A spray pipe 63 is arranged above the tank 56 to discharge cleansingliquid into the tank.

Adjacent the exit side of the tank 56 is a pair of stamps 64 and 65somewhat similar to the stamps 16 and 17 but in this case the lowerI-beam is not pivotally'mounted, but is stationarily supported onbrackets 66, one at each end of the I-beam. The upper I-beam 65 iscarried on a pivot shaft 67 the ends of which are slidably mounted inguides 68, theshaft being raised and lowered by rods 69 and cams 70,similar to thearrangement employed for the I beam 16. No mechanism isprovided for rocking the Lbeams 64; and 65 back and forth, but thefabric is fed between the stamps when the upper I-beain 65 is raised bywringerrollers 71 and 72. A spray pipe 73 is disposed adjacent'the exitside of the rollers 71 and 72 and sprays a rinsing fluid upon thefabric. The fabric then passes over into a tank 74:, in which therinsing fluid is collected, and is subjected to a third pair of stamps 75 and 7 6 while the fabric is in contact with the rinsing fluid in thetank 7 4. An additional spray pipe 77 discharges further rinsing fluidon the fabric as it leaves the tank 74, and the fluid is finally wrungfrom the fabric by wringer rollers 78 and 76. The rollers 71, 72, 78 and79 may be driven by suitable power driving mechanism not shown.

A supply pipe 80 is provided for the tank 74, and a hopper 81 isdisposed below the entire cleaning mechanism shown .in Fig. 7 forreceiving the fluid which flows downwardly from the various parts anddirecting 1t through a discharge conduit 82 into the sewer or otherdrain.

It has been found that efficient cleaning may be effected by placing theroll of carpet or other fabric, without any preliminary reatment, in thetank 13, in which the cleaning fluid may be either clear water or soapywater, and then passing the fabric from the mechanism associated withthis tank directly to the portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 7. Themechanism shown in Fig. 6 effects the dusting operation which iscommonly performed by beating or shaking, or by vacuum cleaningapparatus; but this dusting is accomplished without contaminating theatmosphere and is done more efficiently and with less effort than isusually required with apparatus heretofore employed. The furthercleansing is then effected in the portion of the apparatus shown in Fig.7, in which a strong soap solution or other cleansing fluid may be usedin the tank 56, which is thoroughly removed by the rinsing apparatus andthe wringer rollers. In this way a complete cleaning of the worst soiledfabrics is usually accomplished by a single passage of the.

fabric through the cleaning mechanism.

It will be seen that the water entering through the pipe 80 into thetank 7 4 will rise in the tank at the side thereof toward which thecarpet is moving. The flange will prevent the water from flowingtransversely of the tank at the bottom thereof so that the rising waterflows across the top face of the member 75 through the grooves in thecorrugated pad on top of this member. This will wash back all of thedirt released by the members 75 and 76 so that it will overflow the tank7A at the rear side thereof. The portion of the tank 7d back of themember 75 may be omitted if desired and the water rising in the frontpart of the tank will then simply flow across the space between thestamping members and fall from the rear edge of the lowermost stampingmember.

I claim:

1. In a cleaning machine, a member having a supporting surface thereon,a second member having a contact surface movable into and out ofengagement withsaid supporting surface, and means for actuating saidmembers so that the latter direct successive lengths of a fabric betweensaid surfaces, and means for supplying a cleaning fluid to saidfabric.

2. A cleaning machine comprising a receptacle for containing a cleaningfluid, a support having its upper surface adjacent the surface level ofthe fluid in said tank, means for directing a fabric into contact withthe fluid and over said surface while saturated with the cleaning fluidcontained in said receptacle, and a stamping device movable up anddowninto and out of contact with the fabric on said surface tofacilitate removal of dirt from said fabric, said stamping member andsupport being actuated to feed said fabric between said stamping deviceand said support in a direction transverse to the direction of stampingmovement.

3. A cleaning machine comprising a tank for containing a cleaning fluid,a support disposed in said tank and having a contact surface adjacentthe surface level of the fluid in said tank, said surface having rios ofyielding material thereon, and a reciprocating stamping device movableinto and out of contact with a fabric supported on said surface. 1

4. A cleaning machine comprising a tank for containing a cleaning fluid,a support having an upper surface disposed adjacent the surface level ofthe fluid in said tank, a stamping device having a contact surfacemovable into and out of engagement with the surface of said support,said surfaces having yielding ribs thereon arranged to cross oneanother, and means for directing a fabric between said surfaces.

5. A cleaning machine comprising co-opcrating members having engagingfaces, ribs on said faces disposed in angular relation to each other sothat the ribs on one face cross the ribs on the other face, and meansfor moving said members to'bring said faces into and out of engagement.

6. A cleaning machine comprising a pair of members having co-operatingfaces, means for moving one of said members relative to the other tobring said faces into and out of engagement, yielding projections onsaid faces for engaging a fabric directly between said faces, and meansfor moving said members for feeding a fabric transversely thereto.

7. In a cleaning machine, a pair of members having co-operating aces,yielding projections on said faces for engaging a fabric, means forperiodically moving one of said members to bring said faces into and outof engagement with said fabric, and means for periodically moving saidmembers in unison with each other while said faces are in engagement inadirection to feed said fabric through the machine, said last-namedmeans being timed to operate less frequently than the means for movingsaid members into and out of engagement.

8. A. cleaning machine comprising a pair of bars having laterallyextending contact faces at adacent edges thereof, one of said bars beingdisposed above the other, pivotal supports for said bars adjacent theseparated edges thereof, means for periodicall raising and lowering theuppermost one of said bars, cam mechanism for swinging said bars abouttheir pivotal supports in unison with each other while said contactfaces are together, springs for holding said bars against said cammechanism, means for directing a fabric between the contact faces ofsaid bars, and means for supplying a cleansing fluid to said fabric.

9. A cleaning machine comprising a tank for holding a cleansing fluid, apair of bars arranged one above the other and having contact facesadjacent the surface level of the fluid in said tank, means for raisingand lowering the uppermost one of said bars to move 1 said surfaces intoand out of engagement,

means for directing a fabric between said bars, means for supportingsaid fabric above the surface level of the fluid in said tank after itleaves said bars, means for directing a rinsing fluid on said fabric,and means for wringing the fluid from said fabric.

10. A cleaning machine comprising a tank for containing a cleansingfluid, guides for directing a fabric through the fluid in said tank, andrelatively movable stamping members for periodically stamping saidfabric between co-operating surfaces thereof after said fabric leavessaid tank.

11. A cleaning machine comprising a tank for containing a cleaningfluid, guides for directing a. fabric through said tank, a feed wheelhaving contact points thereon for moving said fab ric between saidguides, a pair of stamping members having relatively movable contactfaces for engaging said fabric as it leaves said tank, means forreciprocating one of said members relative to the other to pcriodicallycompress the fabric between said faces, wringer rollers for receivingsaid fabric from said stamping members, a rinsing tank, a pair ofstamping members having contact faces periodically movable into and outof engagement for stamping said fabric while in contract with a rinsingfluid in said rinsing tank, a pair of wringer rollers for removingexcess fluid from said fabric after it leaves said rinsing tank, and adrain hopper for receiving overflow fluid from said cleansing fluid tankand said rinsing tank.

12. A cleaning machine comprising a tank of sufficient size to contain arolled rug or carpet at one end thereof, a pair of stamping barsdisposed one above the other transversely of said tank and havingcontacting surfaces adjacent the surface level of the fluid in saidtank, means for rocking said bars transversely thereof, means forperiodically raising and lowering the uppermost one of said bars tocause said bars to periodically engage a fabric between the surfaces ofsaid bars, a feed table for directing the fabric between said bars,rollers for feeding the fabric from said tank and for removing excessfluid therefrom, a second tank for receiving the fabric from saidrollers, means for supplying cleansing fluid to said second tank, meansfor feeding the fabric through said second tank, a pair of stamping barsfor periodically compressing the fabric after it leaves said secondtank, a pair of rollers for removing excess fluid from said fabric,means for supplying a rinsing fluid to said fabric, a pair of movablestamping bars for periodically compressing said fabric in the presenceof said rinsing fluid, rollers for removing excess rinsing fluid fromsaid fabric, and a drain hopper for receiving overflow fluid supplied tosaid fabric from said rinsing fluid supplying means.

13. A. cleaning machine comprising a mem her having a supportingsurface, a rubber pad disposed. on said surface, a stamping memberhaving a lower surface co-operating with said supporting surface, arubber pad secured to said lower surface, said pads having ribs thereonextending transversely of said surfaces, the ribs on one pad beinginclined at an angle to the ribs on the other pad, and means for raisingand lowering said stamping member to move said pads into and out ofco-operative relation with one another.

14:. A cleaning machine comprising a member having a supporting surface,a rubber pad disposed on said surface, a stamping member having a lowersurface co-operating 'ith said supporting surface, a rubber pad securedto said lower surface, said pads having ribs thereon extendingtransversely of said surfaces, the ribs on one pad being inclined at anangle to the ribs on the other pad, means for raising and lowering saidstamping member to move said pads into and out of engagement, means forfeeding a fabric between said surfaces, and means for supplying acleansing fluid to said fabric.

15. A cleaning machine comprising a pair of stamping members having ribsthereon, and means for causing the cleaning liquid to flow transverselyof said stamping members across the operating surfaces thereof andthrough the spaces between said ribs.

16. A cleaning machine comprising a lower stationary stamping member,means for feeding a fabric across the upper surface of said member, atanlz for a cleaning fluid having the surface of the fluid thereinadiacent and above the upper surface of said lower stationary stampingmember, an upper stamping member, means for moving said upper stam ingmember into and out of contact with the fabric on said lower stam nqmember. means for supplying cleansina fluid to the tank at one side ofsa d stamping members and means to cause said fluid to flow between thesurfaces of said stamp ng members in contact with the fabric beingcleaned and preventing the c eansing fluid from passing; from one sideof the stam ing members to the other side thereof without first passingbetween said stamping members.

17 A cleaning machine compr sing a pair of members having CO-ODQI'KHUSIfaces, means for periodically moving said members into and out of engaement with the surfaces of a piece of m ter al which is to be cleaned.means for directing successive lengths of said material transverselybetween s id members comprising means for periodically moving saidmembers'transverselv of said first movement a d while sa d members arein engagement with the material.

18. A means for cleaning a fabric and simultaneously feeding said fabricthrough a cleaning machine com rising opposed members for simultaneouslyoperating on opposite sides of said fabric while said fabric issaturated with a cleaning fluid. means for pivoting said members, meansfor moving said members about, their pivots in one direction while saidmembers are in engagement with the fabric to thereby feedthe fabricthrough the machine, and yielding means for moving said members abouttheir pivots in the opposite direction and while said members are out ofoperative engagement with the fabric being cleaned.

19. A device for feeding material through a cleaning 7 machinecomprising opposed guides between which the material is fed, a rotatablemember, relatively stiff fingers and a tank in which said feeding meansis arranged adapted to receive the cleaning fluid so that when saidtank'is filled with said cleaning fluid, said feeding means will bepartially submerged in said cleaning fluid and so that said fingers willsimultaneously agitate said cleaning fluid and said material as saidfingers move the material forward through the guides to thereby assistin removing some of the dirt from said material.

20. A cleaning machine comprising a pair ofv members for exertingpressure on opposite sides of a carpet and for feeding the carpetbetween said members, means for moving the engaging surface of saidmembers in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of thecarpet to effect the feed of said carpet between said pair of members,said members having spaced ribs thereon to assist said members inforcing the dirt out of said carpet.

21. A device for feeding material through a cleaning machine comprisingopposed guides between which the material is fed,

a rotatable member, and a member having a serrated edge secured theretoand rotatable therewith so that said serrated edge will move adjacentsaid guides with the projections on said serrated edge extending betweenadjacent guides for feeding the material through the cleaning machine.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this31st day of May, A. D. 1927.

PASCAL J. SHAQMPAY.

on said rotatable member for engaging the material while it is betweensaid spaced guides, and means for rotating said rotat able member tocause said fingers to move said material through saidspaced guides,

